1. Technical Field
This invention relates to barrier assemblies and, more particularly, to an impact-absorbing barrier assembly for absorbing and dissipating impact energy generated by a vehicle during a collision.
2. Prior Art
With the extensive system of highways in the United States, repair, reconstruction, and new construction are an on-going process. Work-zone safety (especially on the high-speed interstate highways) is a continuing concern. This has been illustrated by the increase in fines and penalties levied by state governments for motorists not observing reduced speed and other safety related protections in construction zones.
Throughout the highway system, various signs, cones, barrels, and other guidance devices serve a variety of needs. Especially on the interstate highways, one often used device is the cement longitudinal barrier. Typically, these barriers are approximately ten feet long, two feet wide at the bottom, 10 to 12 inches wide at the top and three to four feet tall. They are constructed with some type of attaching device on each end so that, when placed in a long line, they can be joined together.
When placed end-to-end they can often extend for miles. One key purpose of this practice is to provide a channel for traffic through work-zone areas, around bridge work and to enable traffic redirection when a nonstandard pattern of road use is temporarily in place. A second key purpose is to provide a safety barrier between construction workers and the moving flow of traffic on the roadway. While these cement barriers have been used for many years on roadways from local streets to interstate highways, they have several inherent limitations.
First, being constructed of cement, they are the same light gray color as the surrounding road surfaces, bridges and retaining walls. As a result, when motorists approach a work zone, it is difficult to see how traffic is being redirected until the motorist is actually in the zone. This is true even with rubber barrel, “sawhorse” or other types of guidance devices. The barriers are difficult to see.
Second, cement barriers are very heavy. To set them up in a work zone requires a large overhead crane or some other heavy duty lifting machinery. During the time they are being installed the danger is even greater to motorists and construction workers. The crane, heavy duty trucks and trailers needed to transport the barriers, and the always possible collision of a vehicle and the crane when a barrier is suspended is ever present.
A third danger occurs during the dark night hours, when these barriers are most frequently employed. Often the barriers are marked with only a standard reflector. When driving past a line of barriers the motorist has the “flashbulbs popping in the eyes” effect from seeing these reflectors in rapid succession. This is especially bad when it occurs away from the illumination of street lights or general city lighting.
Accordingly, a need remains for an impact-absorbing barrier assembly in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a barrier assembly that is easily installed, adaptable in nature, highly visible in during day- and night-time hours, very effective in application, and greatly increases the safety of motorists and construction workers alike. Such a barrier assembly is employable on a wide variety of road ways, ranging from local roads to interstate highways, which currently employ the more convention cement barriers. The hollow plastic, modular design eliminates the need for a crane in order to install the barrier, which greatly reduces the amount of time and costs associated with installing such barriers. The continuous reflective surface and the bright colors of the barrier outer surface, endows the assembly with superior visibility over conventional barriers, especially at night and during inclement weather conditions.